Nicolaitans

“I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent. Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’” Revelation 2:2-7

Who were these Nicolaitans? Some think it was started by Nicolas, one of the first seven deacons. The teaching seems to have been the clergy-laity concept. Jesus taught that no leader is to lord it over others, but must be a servant. This is totally opposite the world’s version of leadership. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolaism